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The Kingdom of Lenca
Ah Lenca. Clove of the world! Such a beautiful land. Soaring mountains. The sound of the sea in the morning and the sound of singing peasants at night. Where the alps meet the waves. Upon my first entry into the land, I was amazed and bewitched by the rural simplicity, untouched by modern civilization. Like a relic of the 11th century. Though that might have been because of the wafting garlic in the air. But it should be very swiftly noted that it was in this place that I HAD and I HAD more than anyone ever! '' - The opening lines of Atmos Slibard's ''The Prisoner of Lenca, his most best-selling novel. Wait. Are you telling me can just invade them and take the garlic without having to pay?! For reasons of state, of course. '' -Empress Euthane right before authorizing the invasion of Lenca. Once the last bastion of FREE MERCANTILE TRADE in the world, the former kingdom of Lenca, now the province of Lenca, is an alpine-maritime land to the centre-west of the Continent. Shielded by mighty alps, they refused to play the game of empire and were content to go on with life as always. It was once a kingdom of average size (though dwarfed by the massive Orestian Empire) with a decent level of technology and living standards, albeit one beset by constant scheming nobles. It was a popular spot for tourism and also treaty meetings as it held a firm neutrality in the Great Game. Ruled by the vonHavengorf family for centuries, whose emblem became the banner of Lenca- a twin headed rooster holding a sceptre in one claw and a garlic-cove shaped orb in the other. The great capital, Garliburg, was and continues to be one of the major cities and trading sites in the world. Lenca was a deeply religious nation, with the world's third largest Cathedral of All Gods in Garliburg. The Order of the Clove was the main elite paladin/cleric/monk branch of the nation. Lenca's exports, which made it so rich, were in iron, steel, timber, fish, wine, textiles, and most importantly of all- garlic. The garlic of Lenca is legendary for its size, pungency, taste, and long-lasting nature. Atmos Slibard claimed to have once eaten a two thousand year old garlic once and felt perfectly fine, calling it the best meal in his life. The garlic trade made them rich and near untouchable by everyone. Garlic served as the middle section of the infamous West Coast Triangle Trade; wherein molasses and rum from Dixie is traded for garlic in Lenca and finally those are traded for gnome slaves and silk in Orestia to be brought back to Dixie. Fifteen years ago, a scandal swept Lenca when King Bastian von Havengorf was kidnapped and replaced by his identical twin, the then travelling Atmos Slibard. Through many investigations with Bastian's fiancee Cecile von Chrodorf (whom upon revealing his true identity, Atmos began a stormy and passionate affair with), Atmos discovered that the King had been kidnapped by his brother Archduke Franz Fritz Ferdinand von Havengorf and a cabal of nobles and burghers who wished to end the neutrality and join the Northern Union and believed (not entirely inaccurately) that Atmos would be stupid enough to make it so. For reasons of state of course. In a series of daring sword fights, castle scalings, pie fights, carriage chases, rapid racing, Atmos managed to thwart the plot and restore Bastian to the throne. Atmos swiftly wrote his adventures in the book ''The Prisoner of Lenca, which became a smash hit all around the world, even in the North! However it had a side-effect. News of the plot and Atmos' book convinced Empress Euthane that Lenca had been allowed to be independent for far too long. Within two years of its publication, Euthane ordered Grand Lord High Admiral Sergia to lead a naval expedition and Lord High Marshal Brassidas Plyiades to lead an alpine expedition against Lenca. Though the Lencans put up a spirited resistance, it was no use and within a week they were overrun completely. Archduke Franz Fritz Ferdinand fought valiantly to the death, an act of redemption for his previous betrayal. Bastian killed himself upon seeing the Imperial Army approach Garliburg. Cecile, however, seems to have escaped into the mountains, where she allied with former conspirator and legendary Knight of the Clove Fabian von Gernot, forming the Lencan Resistance Front.